Carter Named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS -- Sophomore Xavier Carter of LSU has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after winning four titles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last weekend in Sacramento, Calif.

Additionally, Carter was named the USAToday.com U.S. Olympic Athlete of the Week.

The 2005 NCAA Outdoor 200m runner-up, Carter started the weekend running the second leg of LSU's 4x100m relay team that won the national title in 38.44 seconds. He continued with a 10.09 seconds victory in the 100m dash, then turned around 30 minutes later and won the 400m in 44.53 seconds. Carter closed the weekend by anchoring the LSU 4x400m relay team, to the national title in 3 minutes 1.58 seconds.

With his performance in Sacramento, Carter becomes the first athlete since Jesse Owens (100m, 200m, long jump, 220 yard hurdles) in 1936 to win four titles at a single NCAA Outdoor Championship and the first athlete ever to win both the 100m and the 400m at an NCAA Championships.

Other notable performers at the 2006 NCAA Championships were USC seniors Virginia Powell and Jesse Williams in the women's 100m hurdles and men's high jump, respectively. Powell broke her own collegiate record in a world-leading time of 12.48 seconds. She had set the previous record of 12.55 the day before in the semifinals. 2005 NCAA Outdoor High Jump Champion Jesse Williams defended his title Friday clearing 2.32m/7 feet 7.25 inches. Williams is now tied with Svatoslav Ton from the Czech Republic for the leading clearance in the world this year.

Also at Sacramento, University of Tennessee junior Aries Merritt equaled the world-leader in the men's 110 meter hurdles with his winning performance of 13.21 seconds.

Elsewhere, 2004 World Indoor Champion Christian Cantwell won the men's shot put on Sunday with a world-leading toss of 22.45m/73-8 at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Gateshead, England.

Now in its sixth year, USATF's Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.